This invention relates to a facsimile apparatus and, more particularly, to a mechanism for automatically returning the sub-scanning carriage of a facsimile appratus.
In a facsimile apparatus, of a rotary drum scanning type, comprises a scanning drum which is rotatable about its axis for sub-scanning and an optical sensing device or recording stylus disposed opposite the drum surface to move in a direction normal to the main scanning. It is necessary that the sub-scanning carriage comprising the optical sensing device or recording stylus (hereunder referred to simply as a "carriage") be returned to the initial position after it has completed a sub-scanning in forward direction. While such returning is effected manually in most prior art systems, several systems have been proposed to simplify the returning operation by providing the carriage with a mechanism for giving an automatic carriage return. Japanese Patent Publication No. 372/72 and Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 65732/76 describe a method of buffering the return impact by the application of a braking force onto a disc through which eddy currents flow, and method of temporarily stopping the carriage just before it reaches the initial position, respectively. However, these and other conventional methods of automatically returning the carriage have a disadvantage because they require a complex control mechanism.